HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The daughter of Madison County Commissioner Bob Harrison has filed a federal lawsuit against Huntsville Superintendent Casey Wardynski and the school board claiming retaliation in her teaching job due to things her father has said about the school district.

Superintendent Casey Wardynski (File photo)

A lawyer for Lynda Gaines, a teacher at Davis Hills Middle School, filed the lawsuit on Wednesday claiming that Wardynski last summer withdrew a promised transfer to any school she wished after her father made negative comments about district officials to AL.com. The lawsuit names as defendants Wardynski, both personally and in his official capacity, and board members David Blair, Topper Birney, Mike Culbreath, Laurie McCaulley and Jennie Robinson in their official capacity.

"These allegations are simply without merit, and
the district looks forward to presenting the true facts to the court," Wardynski said. "The complaint will now be reviewed by the
school system's legal experts and, since it is a pending matter, we will not be
able to offer any additional information at this time."

Harrison told AL.com he has no comment on the lawsuit. Gaines' attorney, Robert Lockwood, could not be reached.

Scroll to the end of the story to read a copy of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that Gaines and Wardynski made an agreement in June 2012 that, if she taught at Davis Hills for the 2012-2013 school year, he would "allow her to go wherever she wanted for the next school year."

The lawsuit says that Gaines completed the year as promised, successfully, and was under consideration for a transfer when her father, angry about plans to move two of the city's magnet academies, withdrew his support for consolidating schools in northwest Huntsville.

Calling school officials "disingenuous," Harrison on May 1 told AL.com that "everything (was) off the table." Communications between school district officials and most of the black elected leaders of Huntsville, including Harrison, have further deteriorated since then.

A week after the story was reported, Gaines' lawsuit claims, Wardynski ordered her transfer to one of those magnet academies, the Academy for Academics and Arts, against her wishes. She had been hoping for an assignment in a high school or as a teacher on special assignment.

Gaines claims that she emailed Wardynski asking to remain at Davis Hills as the school's literary coach, a position that Principal Jill Burwell offered her in an effort to keep her at the middle school. Not hearing back via email, Gaines says, she sent the superintendent a certified letter in late June 2013 asking about her status for the following school year.

Wardynski wrote back in early July, the lawsuit states, saying he had not heard from Gaines regarding the AAA teaching position, so she would remain a teacher at Davis Hills for the 2013-2014 school year.

"Dr. Wardynski's letter of July 9, 2013, was false, and he knew it was false, because Ms. Gaines had emailed him on May 13, 2013, regarding her desire to remain at Davis Hills as a Literacy Coach," the lawsuit states. The document goes on to say that "the ability to transfer to a position of her choosing was extremely valuable" to Gaines.

The lawsuit claims that Wardynski's actions were retaliation for her father's statements to the media, and that they violate both Harrison's "First Amendment right to speak out on matters of public concern," and her right to associate with her father.

"As a result of the violations of Ms. Gaines' rights, Ms. Gaines has suffered mental distress and emotional anguish," the lawsuit states.

Gaines is asking for any pay and benefits to which she is entitled, as well as compensatory and punitive damages, and attorneys' fees and expenses.

The lawsuit is not the first time Gaines has fought back when she's been transferred to a new school.

Gaines' job at Davis Hills Middle began in the 2012-2013 school year after the school board closed the Seldon Center, the alternative school where she'd taught for 17 years. Gaines filed an appeal of that transfer and lost.

In her June 2012 hearing before the board, Gaines testified that she and other former Seldon Center teachers had been told they would have some choice of where they were sent. That did not happen, she said, and they were only given a choice when it was down to "the last undesirable three" options -- two slots at Davis Hills and one split position at Huntsville High School and the Neaves Davis Center.

Gaines admitted under questioning, however, that the board did not violate policy.

She
told board members that, after 17 years at the Seldon Center, she
wanted a change in the type of student she is assigned. The majority of
students she has dealt with at Seldon came from Davis Hills, Gaines
said.

"Even though I am equipped to deal with this type student, I
don't want to be limited to this type student," Gaines said. "I need a
reprieve."

Updated at 4:43 p.m. to include a statement from Superintendent Casey Wardynski.